


A Father's Love

by LoriLee (cowgirl65)



Category: The Big Valley
Genre: Corporal Punishment, Domestic Violence, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-23
Updated: 2013-01-23
Packaged: 2017-11-26 16:16:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/652125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cowgirl65/pseuds/LoriLee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jarrod gets punished for a serious mistake.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Father's Love

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own The Big Valley and make no money from this.

“Pull them down and put your hands on the wall.”

Jarrod did as he was told, unfastening his trousers to expose his buttocks and placing his hands in the proper position. He tensed when he heard the swish of the willow switch through the air as his father prepared to mete out his punishment. Fifteen strokes was what his father almost roared that he was going to get, ten more than the twelve-year-old had ever gotten in his life, and he’d never needed to be punished behind the woodshed more than a couple times before. 

The switch whistled through the air and Jarrod couldn’t help flinching at the sharp stripe of pain. It radiated across his backside and down to his thighs and Jarrod knew his father had never hit him that hard before. Another thwack and tears welled up in his eyes. I won’t cry, Jarrod told himself, I won’t cry. He repeated that with every strike, but he also knew he deserved every agonizing blow for what he’d almost let happen to his little brother.

He knew Nick wasn’t a very good swimmer yet; he knew the current in the middle of the creek was deep and strong. He knew they weren’t allowed to go by themselves and should have said no when Nick begged him to go catching frogs or at the very least he should never have let his brother out of his sight. It didn’t matter that he’d went into the creek and managed to pull Nick out even after his head disappeared under the surface. It was still his fault that Nick was lying upstairs under the very real threat of developing a deadly case of pneumonia; if Nick died, it would be because of him and no one else.

A tear rolled down his cheek and Jarrod told himself it was just worry for Nick, not from the searing pain across his back and down his legs. He almost couldn’t feel the last few blows through the agony and prayed his parents would let him eat standing at the sideboard. But then he thought of Nick’s still body when he’d pulled him out of the water and he knew it didn’t matter compared to his brother almost dying.

The count finally reached fifteen. Jarrod heard the switch hit the ground and his father’s gruff order of, “Finish you chores and your brother’s too.” 

“Yes, sir.” Jarrod leaned against the wall and after he slowly pulled his trousers over his abused skin, he noticed a smear of blood on his hand. But he didn’t blame his father for the brutal beating; knowing how much he hated himself right now, it was no wonder his father hated him too.

Pushing away from the wall, Jarrod tried to move in the direction of the barn where the stalls waited to be cleaned. His leg buckled from the pain and he fell heavily to one knee. Jarrod’s face burned with shame that his father could see how weak he was.

But as he struggled back to his feet, he was pulled upright into a strong embrace.

“Oh, Jarrod, oh, son, I’m sorry,” his father said, his voice cracking as he held Jarrod tightly. “Can you ever forgive me?”

Jarrod couldn’t hold back his tears any longer. He sobbed from the pain and from the guilt against his father’s chest as strong hands held his head close. “I’m sorry, Father. Nick almost died and it’s all my fault,” he sniffled. His father had nothing to be sorry for. “I deserved to be punished.”

His father’s grip tightened. “But not like that, son. When you brought Nick home, I was scared to death. I still am, but that’s no excuse for what I just did.” Jarrod felt himself lifted gently into his father’s arms. “I love you, Jarrod. I hope you know that and I swear I’ll never raise a hand to you again.”

Jarrod did know how much his father loved him and knew he’d never been punished unjustly. They were both scared for his little brother and he could understand how fear might have made his father’s hand heavier than it should have been. “I forgive you, Father, and I love you too,” Jarrod whispered against his father’s chest. “I hope you can forgive me too.”

“Of course I can, son,” his father reassured him as he carried him towards the house. “And you deserved my praise instead for how good you did in pulling Nick out of the creek and bringing him home by yourself. I’m proud of you, Jarrod, and once more, I promise this will never happen again.”

Jarrod was surprised. His father didn’t hand out praise easily and in spite of his aching body, Jarrod started to feel good about himself. He knew his father was a man of his word and the arms that had so recently been the cause of such pain now only held the warmth and safety of a father’s love.

**Author's Note:**

> This story is set in about 1852 where corporal punishment wasn't just common, it was also expected.


End file.
